I Can Do That!
by prettyinpinkpants10
Summary: After moving from NYC almost tweleve years ago, Mark Cohen comes back with a completly different life including a motherless eleven year old daughter. Uppon meeting his daughter, the gang learns things about Mark's past they never thought was possible.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: So this is my first, it maybe kinda confusing but stick w/ me. Um. Angel is alive. And it takes place in 2007.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except who or what u don't recognize. If SGA or Broadway Gymnastics School are real, I'm sorry I didn't know, and they are used fictiously here.

Mimi Davis and her best friends Tom and Angel Collins ( yes, Angel and Collins had a commitment ceremony, and she took his name.) were sitting in the loft that Mimi shared with her husband, Roger, just eating lunch and simply enjoying each other company.

" Mimi, chica, where is your hubby today ?" Angel said to her best friend using the word Mimi despised most "hubby".

" Finally, after thirteen years, Roger decided to find a job." Mimi said. In the thirteen years they have been married, Roger's only job was writing songs.

" That's a change " Collins said with a laugh.

" Daddy, what are you doing ? Where are we going ? Dad? Daddy? Coach Dad? Come on this isn't funny?" came an unfamiliar laughing voice from outside the door.

Mimi and Angel looked outside their door to see a little blonde who couldn't be more than nine or ten years old running upstairs toward the loft that Mark and Roger had once shared.

" Daddy, what's going on? Why are we here?" came the little girl's voce.

" Lily, we're moving here. This will be our new home, you'll love it here." the voice that Mimi and Angel assumed was the little girl's father said.

" Will I be able to practice here?"

" Of coarse. Do you want to try now?"

" Ok. Dad, I bet you cant do this." The little girl, whose name we have learned to be Lily, did some sort of jump.

" Lily, I was a gymnast, but a male gymnasts. And male gymnasts don't leap." said the man laughingly. Whoever this man was he seemed to be enjoying what was going on immensely as was Lily.

Mimi and Angel reentered the loft, not wanting to listen to the inspecting duo's conversation.

" So what was that?" Collins asked with a small laugh

" A dad and his daughter just moved into the loft. The little girl seems to be a gymnast, as was her dad." Mimi said

" The little girl adorable. She's tiny and she has blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. She has this smile that can light up a room, and that was just looking at her in one glance." Angel said.

Angel always had a soft spot for little kids. She loved how innocent and sweet they were. This little girl seemed special and she was able to tell that by one glance at the little girl who was named Lily.

" Maybe we should welcome them into the building." Mimi said. She wanted to meet the man who was crazy enough to raise a child on Avenue B.

" Why don't we then?" Angel said also curious to meet this family and perhaps welcome them into hers.

In Mark and Roger's old loft:

" Dad, what do you think Broadway Gymnastics School is going to be like?" asked eleven year old Liliana Angeline Cohen.

" Um. I really don't know, but its one of the best schools in the nation, and you know as well as I do SGA was not giving you enough opportunities." her father said, although he really didn't want Lily participating in gymnastics at all, she loved the sport and was obviously very good at it.

Just last month, Lily had become the youngest member on the US National Gymnastics Team by tieing for the title of the Jr. National All Around Champion with a fourteen year old gymnast from Texas and beating out a fifteen year old from Pennsylvania. Lily had also won a medal on both the beam and the bars. Lily was coached by her father who was a former national team member and former captain of the Brown University gymnastics team.

" I really excited to start there. Do you think I'll do okay?' She asked her father her blue eyes pleading with his for reassurance.

" Lily you' do great. Remember you already scored high than those girls at nationals, what makes you think you wont do well training with them. All this change is going to do is make you a better gymnast. But remember no matter what, Aunt Cindy, Grandma, Grandpa, and I are very proud of you. I can be sure that Mommy is too." Mark Cohen sighed at the fact that his daughter would never know her wonderful mother, and that she was being raised alone by him. His wife, Sarah, died in childbirth. Sarah, of coarse, would be very proud of her. Sarah always said that their child would take after him in every way. And she was right. Lily looked exactly like Mark, and acted like him too. She had his unnaturally pale complexion, his light blonde hair, and of coarse his crystal clear blue eyes, although hers were bigger. Lily wore contacts because of gymnastics, but when her glasses were on she looked like a mini Mark. She absolutely none of her beautiful light Irish mother in her. Well, maybe her smile and its ability to light up a whole room. Mark so rarely smiled that people couldn't tell if Lily had Mark's or Sarah's smile.

" Well, sweetie, I have to cut some film. So why don't you read or watch some television and then later I can help you edit your film." Mark said. Lily and him were making a film about Lily and her friend's gymnastics careers, and although Lily did all the filming, she didn't know how to cut film, so Mark was teaching her how. Mark was working two full time jobs now. He was coaching Lily and a group of nineteen other young gymnasts, along with working as a camera man for various companies. He also was a single parent to an eleven year old girl, and he still had his own films that he made. Sometimes when money was tight, he even would give film classes. Needless to say he was always very busy, but that was the perfect lifestyle for him, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

" Ok dad." Lily said as she leapt her way other to the couch.

Mark sighed as he went into his old bedroom and began editing film.

About twenty minuets later, Lily heard a knock on the door.

" Daddy, should I get the door."

" Yes and tell our guests that I'll be out in a second."

Lily opened the door to find three adults standing outside it. One was a beautiful Latina with the biggest brown eyes she had ever seen. The next was also a Latina but who was much taller than the first and who had a very colorful dress on. The last was an African American man who was tall and big, and would _have_ been intimidating if he was smiling so pleasantly.

" Hello, I'm Mimi, and these are my friends Angel and Collins. I live down stairs with my husband, Roger. We wanted to come and welcome you to our building. You are the only ones besides us living here." Mimi said smiling down at the little girl.

" Hi, I'm Lily. My dad is working, but he'll be out in a second. Why don't you come in?"

" Lily, did you offer our…" But before Mark could finish his sentence, a flash of color came by and gave him a huge hug almost cocking the man.

" Mark Cohen, why have you never come back, especially with this pretty little girl." Angel reprimanded the still small blonde.

" Work, Angel, work got in the way." Mark didn't want to explain everything now, including the parts about Sarah.

" Meems, I'm home. Your new working husband." came a new voice that Mark recognized from thirteen years past. _Roger._

" Upstairs, honey, meeting the new neighbors." Mimi replied

Roger came running up the stairs wanting to see his wife and perhaps Angel and Collins.

" Hi, I'm Roger Davis. I live in the loft below yours." Roger said before he even registered who was now living in his old loft.

Mark didn't know how to reply. Should he be formal, or informal. He decided informal would be better.

" Hi, Roger." he said not bothering to introduce himself.

" Hi…" Roger said wanting now to find out why the man had not said his name.

" Mark. I'm Mark"

At the sound of the name, Roger looked up, hoping to see the face he hadn't seen in thirteen years. To his amazement it was none other than his best friend and former roommate , Mark Cohen.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: Thank you to all who reviewed. I hope you like it! If you don't know who Bart Connor, Tim Dagget, Blaine Wilson or the Hamm twins are, I will gladly tell you just ask!

Disclaimer: I don't own RENT. Just the " Moo with me" cow I bought at the show.

Chapter 2:

Roger just stared into the eyes of his best friend. Well, it wasn't as if Roger was just cut out from Mark's life, they spoke every week. Roger had meet Mark's daughters and pretty much knew everything about his new life, but he didn't share any of it with the rest of the gang as per request of Mark. Mark knew all about their lives too, but how did he not know that Mark was moving into the city this week?

After what felt like an hour of just standing there, but was only thirty seconds, Mimi spoke hoping that she could keep her husband and his best friend from killing each other.

" So Mark, is Lily your child?" Mimi asked truly wondering if Mark really had a family of his own.

" Yes, Lily is my daughter." Mark said although he was sure that they had already established that Lily was Mark's daughter. _I mean just take a look at her. Who else's daughter could she be? _

" Do you have any other children?" Angel asked

" Yes. I have a twenty one year old daughter named , Maggie, who is a student at NYU." Mark said thinking of his adopted daughter and one of the mother figures in Lily life.

The entire group except Roger and Mark did the calculation, in order for Maggie to be twenty one, Mark had to have had her at 19. And at 19, Mark was helping Roger through withdrawal and was also dating Maureen.

" Mark, how is it possible for you to have a twenty one year old daughter? I mean I have known you since you were 20, and you never said anything of having a child at the time." Mimi said

" Maggie is the daughter of my wife, Sarah, when I married Sarah, I adopted her eight year old daughter." Mark said clarifying things for everyone

" Oh, so how old is Lily?" asked Angel

" She's 11."

" When is her birthday?" Mimi asked

" Guys, why don't you ask Lily these questions herself. So she can get to know you?" Mark said

' Um. My birthday is June 23rd. " Lily answered as all eyes turned to her.

" What do you do for fun?" asked Collins, who wanted to know what the daughter of Mark Cohen was as reserved as her father.

" Well, I am making a film right now, with my dad's help. Um I really like to read, so I do that when I have the time. But I'm a gymnast, so that takes up most of my time. Between practices and meets and conditioning, I hardly do anything else. But it's really fun, and I love it, so its worth it." Lily said.

Roger head shot up as soon as he heard the word " But I'm a gymnast." He gave Mark a glare meaning that they would talk about that later. Roger by no means was letting this little girl's life get ruined by a sport.

" Lily, would you show us some gymnastics?" Mimi asked excitedly. She loved gymnastics and wanted to see what Lily could do. At one point, Mimi and Angel would watch every gymnastics meet that was on television. And when the men's meets were on they would hope to find a gymnast that they both could settle down with. Angel and Mimi used to have these odd fanaticizes of marrying people like Bart Connor and Tim Dagget. To the day the still watch men's gymnastics and always threaten to leave Collins and Roger for gymnasts, but this time gymnasts such as Blaine Wilson and the Hamm twins.

" Um can I dad?" Lily asked with uncertainty

" Sure. Why don't we go to your room where the mini beam is set up, and you can do some things on beam for everyone." Mark said.

The gang left Mark's living room and went into Lily's bedroom which was filled with all sorts of medals and trophies. On the floor in front of the bed was a balance beam that was no more than a foot off the ground. Perfect for practicing new skills outside the gym.

" Should I do my routine?"

" Yes."

The routine was only 70 seconds long, but it was beautiful. Huge leaps and jumps with tumbling so difficult it was amazing that it could come out of such a little body. The finish was huge a round off back handspring back layout full ( back layout full: a back layout ( a back flip, with one's leg and body completely straight) with a twist. Meaning that as the gymnast is performing the layout she is also twisting so that she will go all the way around and land facing the direction she started in. I will try to get a video of the gymnastics so everyone can have an idea of what is going on).

" Wow." was all that could come out of anyone's mouth after watching Lily.

" Lily. That was great." Mimi finally was able to say.

Lily blushed crimson as her father would.

" Lily is the Jr. National Balance Beam and Uneven Bars Champions. She also tied for the Jr. All Around Title. She was the youngest competitor too!" Mark said beaming with pride, as any father or coach would be. Mark was both, so he felt more pride in Lily's accomplishments than he did in his own.

" Congratulations, Lily. So what does it feel like to be the on the Jr. National Team?" Roger said understanding all what Mark said and what it means.

" I always wanted to be on the team, because I always would hear my dad, and Aunt Cindy's stories about National Team camps and overseas meets, and I always wanted that. This year I was finally old enough and skilled enough to get it. I'm so excited, I can wait till my first international assignment." Lily said looking like her father when he was excited.

" Yep. I remember when your dad would come back from those camps. All he would want to do is go into the gym and practice all the new things he learned. And I would come and watch him and your Aunt Cindy practice, and sometimes they would try to teach me, but I was never any good. I couldn't even do a cartwheel!"

" Yeah, I remember that! Cindy used to yell at you for not knowing how to point your toes!" Mark said.

" Yep. And you would never defend me." Roger said

Collins looked at his watch and noticed that it was time for him to go to work, he had to help a senior with her thesis.

" Well, all I have get going. Bye all. Hey why don't we all meet at the life later to celebrate Lily's win and Mark's return." Collins said

" Sure"

"Sure"

" Um. Okay Lily doesn't have practice till ten tomorrow morning."

" Let's invited Mo and Jo."

Just as everyone walked out, Roger pulled Mark aside and whispered in his ear " We have to talk."

Author's Note: The wrath of Roger is coming next chapter, so stay tuned!


End file.
